


First Impressions

by tokillaladybug



Series: AU Yeah August 2018 [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, ORIGIN SPOILERS, Volpina spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 19:20:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15564696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokillaladybug/pseuds/tokillaladybug
Summary: AU where Adrien never tried to clarify things or apologize to Marinette at the end of Origins.  Instead, Marinette continues to ignore him and assume he’s just like Chloe, and she treats him as such.This is an episode re-write of Volpina with these changes.----------“Well, as Class President, I should welcome her to our school.  Do you know where she is now?”“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Marinette.  She’s with Adrien,” Alya pointed upwards towards the open air hallway surrounding the second floor of the courtyard.  The new girl Lila and Adrien were standing together chatting and smiling.  “You might want to leave her alone for now, you can greet her later.”Marinette watched with wide eyes as the two made their way into the library and out of sight.  “What? No! I’ve got to save her from him before she starts thinking everyone here is like him and Chloe.”  She bolted up the stairs after them, taking them two at a time.AU Yeah August 2018 Day 4: Enemy.





	First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 AU Yeah August: Enemies

When Marinette arrived at school that morning, the whole class was bustling with excitement over some new student. Lila was the name she kept hearing over and over again. There were rumors involving celebrities and diplomats, charity work and her life of travel. All in all, from everything Marinette had heard in passing, this girl seems amazing – practically impossible. No wonder everyone was so excited. She made her way over to where Alya was standing in the courtyard. “Alya what’s going on? Who’s this new girl everyone is talking about?”

“Girl, where have you been? Lila is the coolest person ever, she even gave me an interview for the Lady-blog this morning!” Alya flashed her phone screen in Marinette’s direction. 

“Well, as Class President, I should welcome her to our school. Do you know where she is now?” 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Marinette. She’s with Adrien,” Alya pointed upwards towards the open air hallway surrounding the second floor of the courtyard. The new girl Lila and Adrien were standing together chatting and smiling. “You might want to leave her alone for now, you can greet her later.”

Marinette watched with wide eyes as the two made their way into the library and out of sight. “What? No! I’ve got to save her from him before she starts thinking everyone here is like him and Chloe.” She bolted up the stairs after them, taking them two at a time. 

“Marinette, wait! That’s not a good idea!” Alya’s shouts fell on deaf ears as Marinette left her behind in the courtyard.

Marinette dashed up the stairs and through the main doorway to the library. Once inside she couldn’t see Lila and Adrien anywhere, so she waved at the librarian and quietly moved her way through the rows of books. Towards the back of the building were some smaller work tables somewhat hidden between shelves, and she thought Adrien may have taken her back there – all that much easier to selfishly take Lila away from all the other students. It’s probably some ploy to wiggle his way into her celebrity circle of friends if the rumors were true. 

Marinette paused to try to listen in to what they were talking about before barging in and confronting Adrien. She couldn’t hear very well from the hiding spot behind the shelf, but Tikki spotted a book on the table and demanded Marinette find a way to get it. After a few not so successful attempts to get closer to the table without disturbing them, she found herself hiding under the table between them.

“… now, but why don’t we meet at the park after school and I’ll tell you everything,” Lila said. 

Adrien’s phone alarm rang, and, startled, he dropped his book bag. With panic in his voice, he explained he had to run to be in time for one of his lessons, but he confirmed with Lila about meeting up later that afternoon. He then dashed out of the room, leaving Lila alone. 

Not wanting to come out from hiding now and look like she was stalking them, Marinette waited for Lila to pack up and leave. She noticed Lila had picked up the book Adrien had somehow managed to abandon in his hurry. 

Tikki whirled out in front of her as soon as Lila left. “Marinette!”

“I know! I have to make sure to meet up with Lila before she gets too wrapped up with Adrien. She has to know what kind of person he is.” 

Tikki almost shouted, “No! You can’t mention Adrien to her yet. I need a chance to check out that book first before she or anyone else look at it for too long. You can’t make her suspicious. If it’s the one I think it is, we have to get our hands on it!” 

“But I don’t get it, why would we need it?”

“I’m not sure, but please! It could be very powerful. In the wrong hands, we’d be in serious trouble.”

Marinette huffed and let the tension from her shoulders drop. “Okay, Tikki. I won’t say anything to Lila about what I saw. I still want to greet her though, and show her how great College Francoise Dupont can be.”

Marinette spent the next few periods trying her best to focus on her classes, but it was nearly no use. She was worried about how Lila would be fitting in with the other students. Between periods, Alya showed her the interview Lila gave. In it, Lila said she was rescued by Ladybug and described how the two of them talked and became friends. Marinette had no recollection of ever saving Lila, but she had saved many people, and maybe she just forgot. Lila probably had a bit of a celebrity crush and got carried away, saying that her friendly saving was more than just that. A lot of people tried to stretch the truth when it came to herself and Chat Noir. During all the terrorizing of the Akuma, people tended to be calmer and more compliant if they felt connected to the heroes, so they tried to encourage that behavior. It’s possible Marinette did save Lila at some point and she forgot, though she felt in her gut maybe that wasn’t the case. 

Finally, lunch rolled around, and Marinette made her way to the main courtyard to find Lila. After a quick search, she found her huddled with Chloe and Sabrina. She decided charging in head first would be the most painless version of this whole situation. Time to save Lila. 

Marinette marched up to Lila with a wave, ignoring Chloe and Sabrina. “Hi Lila, I’m Marinette, your class president. Mind if I talk to you for a moment?” Marinette gestured to the hallway to the side of the group. 

“Ugh, as if someone like Lila here would want to talk to you Marinette. She’s right where she should be.” Chloe turned her nose up in the air and crossed her arms. 

Sabrina chorused a ‘yeah’ in the background. 

Chloe huffed, “Just leave her be Lila, she’s not worth your time.” 

“It’s alright Chloe, it’ll just be a moment,” Lila shrugged. She readjusted her bag on her shoulder and fell in step next to Marinette to walk down the hallway.

“Thanks, Lila. I just wanted to officially welcome you to our school. You seem really cool from what I’ve heard, and I want you to know that I’m here for you if you need anything.” Marinette smiled at her. 

“Everyone’s been so nice here to me already. I mean, I know I can be pretty cool, but still.”

Marinette blinked at the comment. “Why don’t you come sit with myself and a few friends during lunch? I’d love to introduce you and show you around properly. We want you to feel right at home here. Plus, I know Alya would love to talk to you more about Ladybug.” Marinette isn’t quite sure why she added on that last part, but she decided that it would probably the best to warn Lila. Alya can be a little pushy when it comes to the heroes of Paris. 

“Oh.” Lila shifted her eyes to the side. “I’d love to! Really. But, I already told Chloe I’d spend lunch with her. I wouldn’t want to break a promise. You understand, right Marinette?”

Marinette glanced to where she could see Chloe and Sabrina waiting. She forced the urge to scowl away and smiled at Lila instead. “I understand Lila. That’s admirable, wanting to keep your word.” She hesitated a moment before continuing. “Uh, just be careful. Most of the people here are wonderful, really. But, we’ve got a few people who only really care about themselves and their image, just like every school I’d expect. I don’t want you to be taken advantage of, especially since you’re new and don’t know everyone yet.”

“Thanks, Marinette, I’m sure I’ll be okay. I’m usually good at taking care of myself.” Lila giggled and shook her bangs out of her eyes. 

“Hey, why don’t we meet up after school? I’d still really love to show you around. We can meet up at the west entrance across from the park?” 

“That sounds great Marinette. Can’t wait!” Lila giggled again. “Though, I really should get going,” Lila gestured towards an annoyed Chloe, who was tapping her foot and attempting to glance away with an air of indifference. 

Perfect! If they spent the afternoon together, she’d keep her away from Adrien and get another chance to get that book for Tikki. She couldn’t have planned it any better. “Yeah, you probably should. See you this afternoon!” Marinette waved as Lila walked away and turned to head out to where she’d find Alya, a new pep in her step all the way through the winding hallways.

And just as quickly as it rose, her mood plummeted.

Alya was seated at a lunch table with Nino and Adrien. Nino, she could understand, but she’d never understand why those two kept Adrien around. He’s no better than Chloe, but neither of them ever seemed to realize it. 

She walked towards them and tried to remove the scowl from her face. “Hey Alya, I thought it was my turn to do lunch with you today, um, what changed?”

“Hey, Marinette.” Alya looked up at her and smiled. “It is, but when you went off to talk to Lila, I thought I’d come sit with the boys. You can sit and eat lunch with us.” Alya patted the empty seat next to her on the bench. 

Marinette couldn’t help but glance between the boys. She tried to smile at Nino, but she felt too uncomfortable. “Uh, um, well, I don’t know Alya, maybe I’ll just go to find Rose and Juleka or something. That way I don’t, uh, interrupt you, you know.” She saw Adrien duck his head, so she couldn’t see his face. She really didn’t want to disappoint Alya, but she also didn’t want to put herself where she’d be uncomfortable.

“Girl, you don’t have to do that. We’d love you to join us.” Alya tried to insist, turning and putting her full attention on Marinette as she spoke. 

“I don’t know…” She looked at Alya’s hopeful face and couldn’t resist. “I guess if you really want.”

Adrien’s head snapped up, eyes wide and staring in an expression Marinette couldn’t place. She decided to switch her focus and met Nino’s fist with one of her own, greeting him familiarly. Settling into the seat next to Alya meant that she was directly across from Adrien, so she turned her body at more of an angle and put her entire focus on her lunch box and the conversation between Alya and Nino. 

This is the first time Marinette spent more than a few minutes in Adrien’s presence without a class to focus on. She, unfortunately, spent most of her days staring past the back of his head, but usually class was enough to distract her. If it wouldn’t have made Chloe happy, she might have suggested switching seats back, but now it was an issue of principle. 

The rest of her lunch hour was filled with her uncomfortable silence, listening into Alya chatter away about Lila and the newest updates she wants to implement to her blog. She ticked the seconds down until she could escape. She loved Alya and trusted her, and she’d known Nino since daycare, which is why she could not understand why they kept Adrien around. She’d never heard him do anything for anyone else, in fact, she’d never heard him do much of anything except coddle Chloe and talk about photoshoot-this and advertisement-that. She tended to tune out most of what he said these days anyway. It was so frustrating that the son of her favorite designer was spoiled. In another life, she would have loved to pick his brain about the inner workings of the industry. 

At the end of the day, Marinette rushed a hasty goodbye to Alya and headed straight to the west entrance to meet Lila, to make sure she didn’t keep her waiting. Unfortunately, what she caught instead was a rather conspicuous Lila trying her best to sneak to the far edge of the park where you could sit relatively unseen from the school. 

“Tikki, do you think she forgot where to meet?” Marinette asked the question already knowing the answer. 

Tikki poked her head slightly out of her purse. The entrance was mostly devoid of students, but there were still a few mingling around the corner. “I don’t know Marinette. I don’t think so, but either way, we really need to get that book. Why don’t you go see what she’s doing in the park?”

Marinette made her way around the far side of the park, keeping mostly unseen from Lila, who seemed distracted by the book in her lap. As she got closer, she watched Adrien come up to Lila from the distance. Somewhat started, Lila tucked the book behind her back and it slid into the trashcan next to her during a moment unnoticed by Adrien. She giggled out a greeting and fiddled with her hair in front of Adrien. Marinette was so surprised, she barely registered what they were talking about. Tikki whizzed her way over to the trash can, and Marinette followed behind much more secretively. As she inched her way closer and quietly pulled the book out of the trash, she could hear better and focused back into the conversation. 

“…since Ladybug saved my life, we’ve become very close friends because we have something very special in common. It’s what I wanted to tell you about. I’m the descendent of a Vixen superheroine myself – Volpina.” Lila leaned close to Adrien as she spoke, but Marinette could still hear every word. 

“Volpina? Wait a minute, I think I read about her in my book!” Adrien reached for his bag, but Lila stopped him. Marinette couldn’t help but flinch and bring the book closer to her chest.

“Of course she’s in your book. She’s one of the most important superheroes, more powerful and celebrated than Ladybug.” Lila scooched closer to Adrien as she talked, and Marinette couldn’t believe a word coming out of this girl’s mouth. “Between you and me, Ladybug doesn’t even make the top ten. My grandma gave me this necklace.” Marinette could see the smallest glint from a necklace Lila held out in front of herself, but she decided now was a good enough distraction as any to carefully sneak back outside the park with the book. 

When she got to a secluded area, away from prying eyes and ears, she let Tikki out of her bag. “I can’t believe her! First, she ditches me to spend time with Adrien, and now she’s lying saying we’re best friends and that she’s better than me! Who does she think she is Tikki?” Marinette huffed out her words in frustration, careful not to take her anger out on the precious book in her hands. 

“It doesn’t matter Marinette, we got the book and that’s what matters. This is exactly the book I was worried it about.” Tikki flew in a few circles around the book, inspecting it, before settling on the cover. 

“I knew I’d never seen her before. I bet she was lying about ever meeting me too. She’s no better than Chloe or Adrien, maybe she deserves to be with them anyway. You know what Tikki, you got your book, now it’s my turn to teach a little lesson.” 

Without much warning at all, Marinette chose to transform, calling Tikki into her earrings. With practiced ease, she propelled herself right in front of the bench Adrien and Lila sat on. She startled them apart and leaned over towards Lila. 

“Hey best friend, I saw your interview on the Lady-blog. Totally cool. Except, I was trying to remember when we first met. Oh, that’s right – never!” Marinette took a step back and watched Lila put her head in her hands. “You should think before you lie about these things, or no one’s going to care about you. Well, no one but other stuck-up, selfish liars like you.” She tried to resist glancing at Adrien, but she couldn’t help it. He seemed shocked to say the least. He probably wasn’t expecting his hero Ladybug to call him out just like she does with Chloe. “Little miss liar here was trying to find a way to impress you and all your little friends, although you probably don’t care much anyway. I bet you were trying to do the same thing.” 

“Ladybug what’s wrong with you! Why are you acting like this?” Adrien jumped to his feet to look her in the face. It was unnerving to Marinette and she took a step back. 

“I can’t stand liars. Especially when she dragged me into it. You two can go cry to your other ‘friends’,” she nearly spat the last word, throwing herself out of the park before she could get another response.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of ideas for episode re-writes in this universe, but eventually, I settled on doing Volpina because it's one of my favorites. Parts of dialogue are taken straight from the show when applicable, but mostly it's my own work. If you have any questions about changes in other episodes based on this universe, feel free to message me on my Tumblr tokillaladybug!
> 
> This was a monster that I didn't finish writing until almost 4 am last night. I have so much more I want to do to continue this, but I may not have the time until after AU Yeah August is over. Sorry to leave you hanging for a bit. In the meantime, hopefully you'll tune in to my other AU Yeah August works. 
> 
> As always, comments and critiques are super welcome.


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